Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Apprentices: Minimum Wage

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the current national minimum wage for apprentices.

Lord Callanan: The National Minimum Wage rates, including for apprentices, are based on the independent and expert advice of the Low Pay Commission (LPC). The Government set a remit in March 2022 for the LPC to make recommendations in the Autumn for minimum wage rates to apply from April 2023. The LPC draws on economic, labour market and pay analysis, independent research, and stakeholder evidence to inform its recommendations.

UK Endorsement Board: Public Appointments

Baroness Bowles of Berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Callanan on 21 June (HL866), what was the process for the fair and open competitive recruitment for the position of Technical Director of the UK Endorsement Board; and when that appointment was made.

Lord Callanan: All members of the UK Endorsement Board’s Secretariat are FRC employees and are appointed following an open and transparent recruitment process as set out in the attached document taken from the FRC website. HL1265 - FRC Recruitment Process (pdf, 91.7KB)

Department of Health and Social Care

Health Professions: Dermatology

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address shortages in the dermatology workforce in England; and what assessment they have made of the potential role of (1) tele-dermatology for diagnostic support and triage, (2) GPs, (3) nurses, and (4) pharmacists, in increasing capacity for treatment and monitoring of skin disorder.

Lord Kamall: Following the 2021 Spending Review, we are increasing the number training posts in dermatology in England to 15, with doctors in postgraduate training in post from August 2022. The National Health Service is also ensuring that patients can access specialist care through dermatology outpatient services. This focuses on a personalised approach for patients waiting for outpatient appointments, improving waiting times and offering choice for patients at the point of referral. Pharmacies can offer clinical advice and over-the-counter medicines for many skin conditions and where appropriate pharmacists can advise the patient to consult a general practitioner (GP), nurse or other healthcare professional. Many dermatology departments in England now offer a rapid access Teledermatology Advice and Guidance service for GPs to seek advice from a specialist prior to a referral being made. The use of technology, such as digital images, reduces unnecessary face-to-face appointments and provides flexibility for patients when booking outpatient appointments. A Teledermatology Roadmap for 2020-21 v1.0 provides recommendations on optimising teledermatology triage and specialist advice, including establishing a working group of multidisciplinary clinical leads and other stakeholders. A copy of the Roadmap is attached. The two-week wait skin cancer pathway: innovative approaches to support early diagnosis of skin cancer as part of the NHS COVID-19 recovery plan also includes a new virtual pathway using teledermatology. A copy of the guidance for the skin cancer pathway is attached.A Teledermatology Roadmap for 2020-21 v1.0 (pdf, 193.3KB)The two-week wait skin cancer pathway: innovative  (pdf, 228.1KB)

Cystic Fibrosis: Social Services

Baroness Davidson of Lundin Links: To ask Her Majesty's Government what (1) number, and (2) percentage, of (a) children, and (b) adults, with cystic fibrosis in England saw a social worker at their latest annual review for each year since 2015.

Lord Kamall: The information requested is not collected centrally. However, from April 2023, local authorities will be mandated to collect data on adult social care patients and users. While this will not include information on diagnoses or medical conditions as standard, data will be collected on physical, sensory and social support; memory and cognition; and learning disability and mental health.

Coronavirus: Notifiable Diseases

Baroness Masham of Ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether COVID-19 is a notifiable disease; if so, (1) who is under a duty to make such notifications, and (2) to whom such notifications are made; whether the public are (a) under a duty, or (b) advised, to notify if they have COVID-19; and if so, who the public should notify.

Lord Kamall: COVID-19 is a notifiable disease. Registered medical practitioners have a duty to make such notifications to the proper officer of the local authority and the UK Health Security Agency. There is no specific duty for the general public to make a notification and there is no advice to do so. However, individuals attending medical or dental appointments in person are advised to inform their healthcare provider where they are symptomatic or if they have a positive test for COVID-19.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Baroness Young of Old Scone: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination programme will be centrally or locally coordinated.

Lord Kamall: The COVID-19 vaccination programme will continue to be centrally coordinated. Whilst it is expected that the programme will continue to be managed at national, regional and local levels, the National Health Service is working with providers, local authorities, voluntary and community sector leaders and communities on the delivery of COVID-19 vaccinations. This includes maximising uptake and coverage, ensuring flexibility to respond to local needs and promoting better understanding of the benefits of vaccination and public health prevention initiatives.

The Senior Deputy Speaker

Palace of Westminster: Repairs and Maintenance

Lord Colgrain: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what has been the cost of (1) the salaries, recruitment fees, and redundancy payments for non-parliamentary staff, and (2) the contractors to undertake surveys and preparatory work, to prepare for Restoration and Renewal since 2014.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The House of Lords does not hold detailed information regarding the salaries, recruitment fees, and redundancy payments for non-parliamentary staff involved in the Restoration and Renewal Programme.The House of Lords is recharged for its share of Restoration and Renewal costs by the House of Commons. Since 2014 the House of Lords contribution to the Restoration and Renewal Programme has been £58.7m. Of this sum, staff costs have totalled £7.55m and other costs, which include the costs of contractors to undertake surveys and other preparatory work, have totalled £51.15m.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Bangladesh: Climate Change

Baroness Uddin: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Bangladesh about steps that could be taken to mitigate the impact of climate change in that country.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We regularly engage with the Government of Bangladesh in regards to the impacts of climate change. In January 2020 we launched a UK-Bangladesh climate partnership to share expertise in all COP26 priority areas and hosted a series of virtual exchanges on adaptation, mitigation, climate finance and on nature. The UK was pleased to support Bangladesh, as chair of the Climate Vulnerable Forum to host an event in Glasgow that highlighted the urgency of tackling climate change for vulnerable countries. Our six year £120 million Bangladesh Climate and Environment Programme, announced at COP26, also has a focus on resilience in climate vulnerable areas. The programme will support the scaling up of locally-led adaptation and help households to cope with climate impacts.

Food Supply

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the global food security crisis of reduced exports of grain, fertiliser and other agricultural products as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The impact of the invasion is being felt around the world but most acutely in countries already facing dangerous levels of food insecurity. The World Food Programme estimates that if the war continues, up to 47 million more people could face acute food insecurity this year, bringing the total as high as 323 million by the end of the year. There is an estimated 25 million ton backlog of grain unable to leave Ukraine due to Putin's reckless blockade of Ukraine's Black Sea ports. The UK is working closely with our international partners to mitigate the impacts of Russia's actions and to tackle global food and nutrition insecurity. We are holding Russia's actions to account, being clear that Western sanctions are not to blame, supporting UN-led negotiations to reopen maritime routes for food exports from Ukraine's sea ports, and supporting efforts to transfer grain to global markets via rail routes.

Palestinians: Health Services

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to make representations to the World Health Organisation to (1) collect, and (2) publish, health statistics for Gaza, East Jerusalem, and the West Bank; and for Palestinians living in camps outside of these areas.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We do not collect this data. The World Health Organisation Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean regularly share health data on the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). The UK is a major donor of the World Health Organisation globally. We remain a key supporter of United Nations Relief and Works Agency, who help provide basic education to more than 533,000 children a year (half of whom are girls), and access to health services for 3.5 million Palestinian refugees.

Myanmar: Armed Conflict

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are making representations to the government of Myanmar following attacks in (1) 2021, and (2) 2022, by armed men on villages of the Bayingyi minority.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We strongly condemn the reported attacks against the Bayingyi people, and all ethnic groups in Myanmar. We are deeply concerned by the continuing conflict in Sagaing Region, where many of the Bayingyi communities live.Since the coup, we have had no senior bilateral engagement with the military regime but we continue to call out their actions publicly, most recently in a statement to the UN General Assembly on 13 June 2022. On 26 November, we coordinated a joint statement which raised concern at the risk of mass atrocities in Sagaing Region and elsewhere in Myanmar, and urged the military to end the violence. Although international humanitarian access to Sagaing is difficult, we have managed to provide assistance to local partners who operate in these hard-to-reach areas.

Poland: Property

Baroness Deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with the government of Poland regarding therestitutionof property seized fromPolish Jewishcitizens during the period of Nazi occupation; and whatwas the outcome ofany such discussions.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK continues to meet its commitments under the Terezín declaration.Her Majesty's Government (HMG) raised concerns with the Polish Government about legislation introduced last year concerning the restitution of property seized during the Nazi occupation. The UK's Special Envoy for post-Holocaust Issues, Lord Pickles, has followed developments closely and through the British Embassy in Warsaw, we have been acting in consultation with our likeminded partners to engage with the Polish Government. Following the passage of the legislation, which HMG judges will have a negative effect on legitimate claimants, the then Minister for Europe (Wendy Morton) publicly expressed their disappointment and called for legal avenues for claims to remain open.The UK will continue to demonstrate our unwavering commitment to supporting Holocaust survivors and their descendants. Lord Pickles is chairing a discussion on restitution at the Terezín Declaration Conference on 3 November. Working with like-minded partners and the World Jewish Restitution Organisation (WJRO), the FCDO will continue to urge Poland to fairly, objectively and sensitively deal with Holocaust-era property restitution.

France: Diplomatic Relations

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government, when pursuing diplomatic relations with the government of France, what consideration they have given to "Fashoda syndrome", a concept describing the priority given by the government of France to asserting French influence in parts of Africa which are perceived to be susceptible to British influence.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We work very closely with France on key global challenges, both bilaterally and in multilateral fora. This includes in Africa, where the UK and France are committed to cooperating to support peace, stability, resilience and economic development across the continent. For example, we have both been involved in the regional effort against Boko Haram, and our forces operate side-by-side to combat extremism in the Sahel, where UK Chinooks provide support to French troops.

British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies: Sanctions

Baroness Stern: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any (1) systems, or (2) agreements are in place, to encourage the British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies to proactively share information with UK authorities relating to entities registered in these jurisdictions that are suspected to be connected to sanctioned individuals.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies share valuable company ownership information with UK law authorities under the Exchange of Notes process, whereby information is shared with UK law authorities within at least 24 hours of receiving a request (and within one hour for urgent requests). Information provided has enabled the seizure of illicit funds, including information to support the National Crime Agency's (NCA) first Unexplained Wealth Order, which froze approximately £25 million. Furthermore, the UK's Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, which sits within HM Treasury, engages regularly with the Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies on compliance, enforcement and licensing. This engagement has assisted these jurisdictions in developing the implementation of financial sanctions across the wider UK Family.UK sanctions apply in all Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies, and these jurisdictions have frozen Russian assets with a combined estimated value in excess of £10 billion. These figures are likely to change.

Ukraine: Armed Conflict

Lord Selkirk of Douglas: To ask Her Majesty's Government what stepsthey are taking to ensure that Russia pays restitution to Ukraine after the war in that country.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Mr Putin alone is responsible for the damage and destruction caused by his illegal war in Ukraine. His regime must pay for the damage that it has caused. The UK will continue to support efforts to achieve accountability for crimes committed during the illegal invasion, including by the provision of assistance to the International Criminal Court investigation.

Afghanistan: Development Aid

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much aid they have provided to Afghanistan since 1 January.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The FCDO has disbursed £160 million on humanitarian assistance since 1 January 2022. Our aid is vital and will provide life-saving support to the most vulnerable, especially women and girls, minority groups, and people with disabilities. We are also funding child protection support and supporting access to gender-based violence services.

Afghanistan: Food Supply

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the food security crisis in Afghanistan and the prospect of famine.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Afghanistan continues to face a serious and worsening humanitarian crisis. It is affecting just under half of the population, with 18.9 million facing acute food insecurity. This is now one of the world's most severe food security crises. 92% of the population faces insufficient food consumption. People continue to turn to drastic measures to feed their families with nearly 60% of households resorting to crisis coping strategies. Over 6 million people have been internally displaced and millions of children are out of school. The combination of food and other household prices rising and the reduction in economic opportunities in Afghanistan will lead to a significant increase in poverty rates in Afghanistan. The recent earthquake in eastern Afghanistan on 22 June has exacerbated the situation.On 11 January 2022, the UN launched an appeal for $4.4 billion for 2022, the largest humanitarian appeal on record, reflecting the magnitude of the humanitarian challenge ahead. The UK was at the forefront in responding to this. On 30 March, the Foreign Secretary announced the UK pledge of £286 million for 2022/2023, the second highest commitment to the Humanitarian Response Plan for Afghanistan to date. This commitment reflects the UK's enduring commitment to the people of Afghanistan.

India: Rivers

Baroness Uddin: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussionsthey have had with the government of India regarding (1) that country’s management of its river flows and dams, and (2) the consequential impact on Bangladesh.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Ministers and officials regularly raise environmental issues in discussions with their Indian counterparts.The UK's South Asia Water Governance Programme, which ran from 2012 to 2021, worked with countries across South Asia, including India and Bangladesh, to increase regional cooperation in the management of the transboundary Himalayan Rivers to deliver inclusive development and climate resilience in the region. Her Majesty's Government will continue supporting regional cooperation on transboundary Himalayan Rivers through the new Climate Action for a Resilient Asia programme, announced at COP26.

Ministry of Defence

F-35 Aircraft

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Goldie on 20 June (HL691), whether there has been a change to the agreement that two squadrons would have Royal Naval Fleet Air Arm designation.

Baroness Goldie: Three F35 Squadrons are designated as Royal Air Force. A fourth, 809 Naval Air Squadron will carry Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm designs. The fifth Lighting Force squadron has yet to be designated, with a timeline on identity and ownership yet to be established.

Aircraft Carriers: F-35 Aircraft

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Goldie on 20 June (HL693), when the UK will be able to deploy a carrier with its full load of 36 F-35B UK aircraft, should the operational requirement demand it.

Baroness Goldie: On current plans, by the end of 2025, the UK will have procured 48 F-35Bs.The Queen Elizabeth Class carriers have been designed to be able to embark 40 aircraft, a mix of fixed wing and rotary wing. The composition and size of the any embarked air group in a deploying carrier will be tailored to meet the operational requirement.

F-35 Aircraft: Procurement

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Goldie on 20 June (HL695), what representations they have made, if any, to the government of the United States regarding the (1) manufacture, and (2) delivery profile, of F-35 combat aircraft, given the changes to the orders made for that aircraft by other governments.

Baroness Goldie: We have informed the US led F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) of our Tranche 2 purchase intention. However, we are subject to our internationally agreed manufacture and delivery schedules, and capacity limitations in the overall F-35 development programme with its many global customers.

Afghanistan: Refugees

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government howmany former Locally Employed Staff have made applicationsfor relocation or other assistance under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy; how many of these applications have (1) been processed, and (2) are waiting to be processed; what is the average length of time for an application to be processed; and how long they expect it will take to clear any backlog.

Baroness Goldie: Since January 2022 we have received approximately 3,000 ARAP applications per month. Given many of these are speculative or duplicates, we cannot provide precise data as to processed or waiting to be processed numbers. Application processing times can vary given the complexities of individual circumstances such as, but not limited to, their ability to respond to requests for information, their location, access to IT or employment checks. However, the speed of decision making in HM Government does not solely determine the speed of evacuation. Many ARAP applicants are undocumented and cannot leave Afghanistan through any official route. We are bringing them out at the speed our partners in the region will allow. To date, we have relocated over 9,600 eligible individuals and their dependents and we estimate that there are 8,000 (inclusive of their dependents) ARAP eligible individuals still to be relocated to the UK. This figure is subject to change as we continue to work through the outstanding applications.

Australia: Navy

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in light of the AUKUS agreement, what decisions they have made regarding the provision of nuclear-trained submarinersto the Royal Australian Navy.

Baroness Goldie: Initial steps are underway to ensure Australia has a workforce with the necessary skills, training, and qualifications to build, operate, and sustain a conventionally-armed nuclear-powered submarine capability.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what work they are doingto ascertain the needs of vulnerable claimants who will be moving from Employment Support Allowance to Universal Credit; and what additional safeguards they will introduce to protect claimants who transfer from Employment Support Allowance to Universal Credit.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: The Department is fully committed to supporting vulnerable claimants, including those on ESA during the roll out of Universal Credit. To support this, we have completed an Equality Analysis before restarting managed migration to ensure we are fully compliant with the Public Sector Equality Duty. During the discovery phase we will work with small numbers of existing benefit claimants from different places across the country to identify what is needed to prompt and help people to make a claim to Universal Credit. There will be a range of support available to individuals, including a dedicated DWP telephone line and signposting to independent support through the Help to Claim service.

Disability Living Allowance

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people were in receipt of theHigher Rate Mobility Componentof the Disability Living Allowance in each of the four countries of the UK in the last year; andhow many of those recipients in each country used it to cover the cost of a Motability Scheme lease agreement.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: The latest available information showing the number of individuals who received the Higher Rate mobility award of Disability Living Allowance, is given in the table below. Number of individuals in receipt of Higher Rate Mobility Award of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) by country, at the end of each quarter, February 2021 to November 2021: Great Britain. QuarterEngland WalesScotlandTotal (GB)Feb 21464,94646,00368,817579,767May 21456,14145,06567,551568,752Aug 21448,34144,24666,397558,979Nov 21440,12743,25964,974548,362 Source: DLA Cases in Payment, Stat-Xplore, Department for Work and Pensions We do not hold information on the number of higher rate mobility recipients that use it to cover the cost of a Motability Scheme lease agreement. However, the latest Motability annual report does show that over 640,000 people use the scheme.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Environmental Land Management Schemes

Baroness Redfern: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatsupport they will give to land managers to track the outcomes of their engagement in Environmental Land Management schemes; and how they will evaluate the impact of Environmental Land Management schemes by comparing areas where land managers (1) are, and (2) are not, participating in such a scheme.

Lord Benyon: We are building on our experience of delivering, monitoring and evaluating agri-environment schemes over the last few decades, working closely with farmers, land managers and wider industry stakeholders to test, trial and pilot our approach to scheme design and delivery, including monitoring and evaluation. We are in the process of establishing our monitoring and evaluation plans for each of the Environmental Land Management schemes. To ensure strength in design of our monitoring and evaluation we are using a mixed methods research approach, this includes consideration of how to compare between sites that our participating in schemes and those that are not. This will help us to understand what additionality and impact our schemes are delivering. More specifically, in the Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot, land managers will be supported through monitoring and site visits to track how they are delivering their outcomes. Similar to our approach to monitoring Countryside Stewardship, we are using a combination of physical and virtual site visits, remote monitoring, and desk-based administrative checks. We are still designing our monitoring and evaluation plans for Local Nature Recovery. In the first round of Landscape Recovery, each project will be responsible for developing their monitoring, evaluation, and learning strategy. There will also be scheme-level monitoring, evaluation and learning which will help us learn about how the scheme is working and make improvements for later rounds of Landscape Recovery projects.

Home Office

Asylum: Rwanda

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatpercentage of people seeking asylum in the UK must be sent to Rwanda for them to consider the policy a successful deterrent against small boat crossings of the English Channel.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The number of people who can be relocated to Rwanda under the Migration and Economic Development Partnership is uncapped. This is part of a suite of measures aimed at breaking the business model of people smuggling gangs, and as with all policies its impact will be kept under review.

Proceeds of Crime: Nigeria

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 8 June (HL408), what steps they will take to ensure that the total sum of the Abacha loot will not end up in the hands of criminals.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The UK is a signatory to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) and places great importance on the recovery and return of the proceeds of corruption.The UK is mindful of its obligations under international law, including UNCAC, and the principles for transparent and accountable asset return which were endorsed at the Global Forum for Asset Recovery in 2017.In January 2022, the UK published its first ever Framework for Transparent and Accountable Asset Return, which applies across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The purpose of the Framework is to ensure consistency, transparency and accountability in the UK’s process for returning assets.When returning funds, the UK will always sign a case-specific agreement with the relevant country detailing the steps that the recipient Government will take to ensure the funds are put to their intended use. All agreements which oversee the return of funds abroad are published on gov.uk

Proceeds of Crime: Nigeria

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the Written Answer byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 8 June (HL408), why they are transferring funds to the US Department of Justice given that the United Nations Convention states that returns should be made to the victim country.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The NCA’s recent recovery of $23,439,724.98 from the associates and family of former Nigerian Head of State, General Sani Abacha, was carried out following a request from the US Department of Justice (USDOJ). Acting on a request from the USDOJ, the NCA pursued nearly seven years of protracted litigation and international negotiation to obtain the recovery order, to enforce the US forfeiture order relating to the recovered monies. As such the funds have now been transferred to the Home Office for onward transmission to the USDOJ. The ultimate intention is for the $23.5m to be repatriated for the benefit of the Nigerian people.

Proceeds of Crime: Nigeria

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 8 June (HL408), whether they will include victim compensation in any agreement about the appropriate use of funds.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The NCA’s recent recovery of $23,439,724.98 from the associates and family of former Nigerian Head of State, General Sani Abacha, was carried out following a request from the US Department of Justice (USDOJ). Acting on a request from the USDOJ, the NCA pursued nearly seven years of protracted litigation and international negotiation to obtain the recovery order, to enforce the US forfeiture order relating to the recovered monies. As such the funds have now been transferred to the Home Office for onward transmission to the USDOJ. The ultimate intention is for the $23.5m to be repatriated for the benefit of the Nigerian people.

Refugees: Resettlement

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government howmany refugees have been resettled under the UK Resettlement Scheme which was announced by the Home Secretary in June 2019; andhow many refugees they expect to be resettled in the UK under its provisions (1) this year, and (2) for each of the next five years.

Lord Harrington of Watford: The Home Office publishes data on asylum and resettlement in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on the number of refugees resettled through the UKRS is published in table Res_D01 of the asylum and resettlement detailed datas.In the first quarter of this year, the Government has resettled 345 individuals through the UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS). The scheme began in January 2021 and as of April 2022, a total of 1,470 refugees have been resettled through the UKRS.There is no stated target for the new global UKRS. The number of individuals resettled in a particular period will depend on a range of factors, including the flow of referrals from UNHCR in the field and local authorities’ ability to provide suitable accommodation and care packages in the UK.Table - Res_ D01 - Asylum and Resettlement Data (xlsx, 159.7KB)

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Parking and Public Sector: ICT

Baroness Altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure thatall (1) parking facilities, and (2) essential public services, including medical appointments, council inquiries, service payments, and registrations, are always available to those who do not have (a) internet access, (b) a Wi-Fi connection, or (c) a smartphone.

Lord Greenhalgh: The Government's Service Standard is mandated for government departments to follow in the development of new digital services. The Service Standard requires new services to be accessible to all users, including disabled people, people with other legally protected characteristics, people who do not have access to the internet and/or lack the skills or confidence to use the internet.The Service Standard mandates that users who need “assisted digital support” should be able to access public services by phone, face to face meetings, or via webchat. All central government services must meet these requirements to go onto GOV.UK and assurance is provided through a formal Assessment process.The NHS also follows the Service Standard with additional elements specific to health needs. People can contact their GP practice by telephone, in person or using a secure online form and patients unable to access remote general practice consultations for any reason should be offered an alternative appointment mode. In England and Wales there is no provision for births, deaths, marriages or civil partnerships to be registered online, attendance in person is required. Online tools must always be provided in addition to, rather than as a replacement for, other channels for accessing general practice, and practice receptions should be open so that patients without access to telephone or online services are in no way disadvantaged.Responsibility for parking facilities rests with the relevant local authority, as they are best placed to consider how local needs can be effectively met.DLUHC is currently reviewing Private Parking Code of Practice, which has previously recommended that operators accept at least two different payment methods. For example, cash and card. There are currently no plans to issue a similar direction to local authority car parks.

Housing: Compulsory Purchase

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government on how many occasions in the past three years local authorities in England have exercised their powers (1) to requisition, and (2) to purchase compulsorily, houses or flats that have been unoccupied for long periods; and whether they will issue new guidance for areas of great housing need.

Lord Greenhalgh: The Government is keen for local authorities to bring back more empty homes into productive use. In Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill which is currently before Parliament we are improving the process for making and confirming compulsory purchase orders so local authorities have more confidence in using these powers.Local authorities can exercise their powers to take over the management of long-term empty homes (through Empty Dwelling Management Orders) in certain circumstances in order to bring them back into use in the private rented sector. The department does not collect data on the number of such orders made.Local authorities can also use their housing compulsory purchase powers under the Housing Act 1985 to deal with empty homes. In the last 3 years, 118 compulsory purchase orders under these enabling powers have been submitted to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities for confirmation. There are also other enabling powers that compulsory purchase orders can be made under that could involve empty homes. No further detailed breakdown is available.

UK Shared Prosperity Fund

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the UK Prosperity Fund will be implemented.

Lord Greenhalgh: The Fund was launched on 13 April 2022 and will run until March 2025. We intend the first payments to places to take place in the Autumn.

Leasehold: Reform

Lord Truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to introduce legislation to Parliament as part of the second phase of their leasehold and commonhold reforms.

Lord Greenhalgh: The Government has already made great strides with the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022, which came into force from 30 June 2022. We will bring forward the second part of our leasehold reforms in the next session of this Parliament.

Housing: Construction

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what additional housing they are planning, together with (1) local authorities, (2) the Housing Corporation, and (3) others, in light of the arrival of more refugees from (a) Afghanistan, (b) Ukraine, and (c) Hong Kong, and other long-term visa holders.

Lord Harrington of Watford: The UK has a long and proud history of welcoming migrants including recent arrivals from Ukraine, Afghanistan, Syria and Hong Kong. All conflict and threat situations are unique and require unique and tailored responses, including different levels of required housing support and different means of providing this.We are actively exploring options to provide suitable settled homes for refugees in housing need, which support their integration and access to education and employment.In the longer-term, the provision of affordable housing is a key element of the Government's plan to end the housing crisis, tackle homelessness and provide aspiring homeowners with a step onto the housing ladder. Our £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme (AHP) will provide up to 180,000 new homes across the country, should economic conditions allow. Around half the homes will be for affordable and social rent and we will deliver more than double the amount of social rent compared to the current programme, with around 32,000 social rent homes due to be delivered.

Ministry of Justice

Support Through Court: Finance

Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede: To ask Her Majesty's Government, furtherto the article in the Guardian ‘Court support service under threat as Ministry of Justice pulls funding’, published on 19 June, and the comments of a Ministry of Justice spokesperson that “charities will soon be able to bid for new grant funding”, whether there will be a gap in the provision for Litigants in Person between the ceasing of funding for Support Through Court and whatever new provision they intend to make.

Lord Bellamy: The Ministry of Justice recognises the pivotal role that organisations such as Support Through Court play in assisting litigants in person. The Ministry has agreed extensions to ensure continuity of funding, taking both the Litigants in Person Support Strategy and Legal Support for Litigants in Person grants to 30 September 2022. All organisations have been notified, including Support Through Court.There will be new grant funding available soon for legal support for litigants in person throughout England and Wales. The details on the level of funding and how it will be administered are close to being finalised. There will be a competed process for determining which charities are awarded funding. I will write to the Noble Lord confirming the process shortly.